Discovery Benefit Regatta draws largest crowd ever

By JACOB DORAN / Bigfork Eagle

The North Flathead Yacht Club took to the water to help local families last Saturday, as local sailors and their sponsors raised money for the Discovery Developmental Center, during the fifth annual Sailing into the Future benefit regatta.

Hosted by the North Flathead Yacht Club, as always, the benefit drew its largest crowd ever, while volunteers, sailors and supporters of the Discover Developmental Center joined forces to help the center fulfill its ongoing mission of providing a quality early-care environment in the Flathead for young children and their families.

This year's theme was "Aloha Flathead," and plenty of people took advantage of the Hawaiian motif to dress a little cooler, sporting bright flowers on their apparel and in their hair, as well as around their necks, wrists and ankles.

Friends, families, mariners and loyal Discovery supporters maintained a steady flow into the yacht club for the event throughout the day. With a full itinerary of activities and live music, which ranged from the outdoor silent auction to a set of treasure hunts for children, the Sailing into the Future benefit afforded much more than a simple regatta, proving itself a "tropical" family experience with something for all ages to enjoy.

At 9 a.m., however, sailing took center stage, as the regatta got underway. With one race completed, a second followed. Unfortunately, the second race was cut short when the wind refused to blow, about halfway through the designated route.

Even so, the regatta itself continued to play a major role in the benefit, giving local businesses the opportunity to sponsor a vessel in support of the Discovery Developmental Center. Altogether, thirteen boats registered and twelve set sail. An awards ceremony took place in the evening, but winners were announced mid-afternoon.

Jeff and Jennifer Fisher took first place with an adjusted time of 39:23. His boat, Maniac was sponsored by Flathead Electric Coop.

With an adjusted time of 40:31, second place went to Jim Kelly, whose boat Limerick was sponsored by The Brace Place. Don Lewis was awarded third place with an adjusted time of 40:49, his boat Blew-By-U having been sponsored by Lyle Mitchell of State Farm Insurance.

Fourth place went to Ellen Ballenstein, who finished with an adjusted time of 43:08 in Come Monday, which was sponsored by Flathead Orthopedic. Finishing only slightly behind her, with an adjusted time of 43:32, Brian Brown took fifth place in his boat Foxy, sponsored by Centennial Timber Frames.

A number of children's activities followed at noon, including games like the "Walk the Plank," "Clam Dig," "Tiki Torch Relay" and "Musical Beach Blankets." The activities culminated in an all out treasure hunt for kids ages six and under, followed by a second hunt for ages seven to 12. A series of clues led the junior treasure hunters step by step to a chest filled with a pirate's bounty of toys, candy and costume jewelry.

As for how the day went, Discovery's director Collette Box said she could some it up in three words.

"Oh my gosh," Box exclaimed. "That's all I can say. This is the best family turnout we've ever had. There are so many kids here and so many past and present Discovery families. There are people here I don't even recognize."

Box said she is pleased with how the community has come together to make the Discovery regatta a fun and successful day. Thanks to the generosity of the yacht club, local business and families, this year's silent auction featured more than 90 items.

In her estimation, the benefit has gotten better every year as more and more people have gotten behind it. She considered the location itself to be a key component in that success and said she felt Discovery had been blessed to be able to use the yacht club for the event, every year.

The water, she added, provides a great way for families to cool down on a hot summer day. And, while the water this year was a bit colder than usual, she noticed that it hadn't deterred the children from getting in, whether to go for a swim or just make some waves.

"What we're really trying to do is to make this a fun day for families," Box said. "Kids and families. That's what Discovery is all about. We've had so much fun, and there are so many great activities for families.

"The North Flathead Yacht Club is a family organization itself, and as always we had great support and participation from the yacht club. We had 13 sailors who participated. Some even sponsored their own boats."

As in previous years, a $300 sponsorship, earned businesses two event tickets, a pennant that bore their company logo that could be flown from the vessel they sponsored, and an opportunity to join the vessel's crew. However, coordinators of the benefit provided a number of options to allow businesses and individuals to contribute to Discovery, besides sponsoring a boat.

Businesses were also encouraged to donate a service or item to the silent auction, which lasted most of the day, concluding at 4 p.m. Supporters were also encouraged to sponsor the day's entertainment, helping to offset the cost of the band and food, as well as to participate in the afternoon dinner and dance bash.

Montana Tropical Marimba Ensemble provided the music for the event. Flathead Valley's own marimba octet began playing around 2 p.m., combining traditional African folk tunes (from the Zimbabwean Shona tribe), original Northwest Montana melodies and familiar, tropical compositions, energetically hammered out by sixteen mallets.

The eight-member band looked and sounded as if they were performing for vacationers at some tropic port. The group's contagious sound inspired children to dawn their hula hoped and move their hips with the music, to the delight of both audience and the band itself, who were obviously enjoying themselves.

The "Sailing Into The Future" benefit regatta serves as the primary fundraiser for the Discovery Developmental Center, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, that moved into a new facility in August of 2005, and is now capable of serving 82 children.

Discovery is an NAEYC accredited, licensed child-care center, serving children and families from the Flathead Valley since 1992. Founded by two pediatric therapists, Discovery's mission is to provide the highest quality early childhood programs to stimulate healthy development in children of all abilities, in a professional environment.